Running-gear of railway-cars



l(No Model.)

J. D. FEE.

RUNNING GEAR 0F RAILWAY GARS;

Patented Aug. 16,1881.'v

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. FEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RUNNlNG-GEAR OF RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 245,920, dated August 16, 1881.

Application filed May 25, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN D. FEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Running-Gear of Railway-Cars; and Ihereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description thereof, reference heilig had to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is aplan view of my improvement; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section of the same; Fi g. 3, a central cross-section of the same, and Figs. 4. and 5 detail views.

My invention relates to mechanism for permitting cars having a third or central truck to turn curves without additional friction between the wheels and rails. It is well known that with all cars, but especially with those ot' the increased length now coming extensively into use, this friction is very great, and that the problem ot' lessening it, with its attendant iiange wea r, heavy draft, and destructive strain upon the track and rolling-gear is one of serious concern.

Ageneral idea ot' the nature of my invention and in what it consists may be gathered from the following brief outline: I provide for each cararectangular base-frame, generally of iron, upon which the body ofthe car rests, and crossing this frame on its lower side and rigidly secured to it are three strong transoms of iron, or wood, or both, one at the center and one toward each end. These transoms form the supports for all theremaining parts, embracing the trucks and the actuating mechanism. Upon the lower side of the central transom is a plate corresponding with the sameinarea and adapted to slide upon it, within prescribed limits, in guides. To this sliding plate a central truck is suspended. A reach,to which the draw-bar is attached, extends from end to end of the frame, but is formed in two parts, being divided at the center ofthe car. Each part ofthe reach is pivoted to the lower side of the sliding plate at the center, and also to the lower side of one of the transoms near the ends ot' the frame. To each halt' of the reach is rigidly secured a device analogous to the hounds of a wagon, and to these hounds are suspended the end trucks. The hounds, moreover, are diagonally connected together by truss-rods. As a result of this construction the act of turninga curve throws the inner ends of the reach to one side, carrying with them the central truck, and at the same time this movement on the part of the reach so turns thehounds as to cause each axle to occupy the position, or nearly the position, of aradius to the curve. The shifting of the central truck, and the tu rnin gj ust described ot' the axles, so as to occupythe position of radii to the curve, constitute the leading objects of my invention.

In addition to the foregoing, my invention consists in various details of construction and combinations of parts, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Referring to the drawings, A is the rectangular frame, hereinbefrre referred to, which I usually make oft-he length ofthe car and about the width of the trucks, B B, the two transoms near the ends of the same, and B the central transom. Each of these is rigidly secured to the frame A by means ot' bolts e, or in any other effect-ive manner.

C is the truclobolster upon the lower side ot' the central transom, and sliding within guides a, projecting downward from the said transom. In order to lessen the friction incident to this sliding movement I provide the transom B with rollers or wheels t, as shown in Fig. 3. To this bolster are suspended the een tral truck-pedestals D.

E is the reach,formed in two parts,meeting at the center ofthe car below the sliding plate C, and connected thereto by means of stirrups s, adapted to afford them the requisite pivotal motion. Each half ofthe reach is also lirmly pivoted to one ofthe transoms B by means of a bolt, i, or other analogous device.

F F are the hounds, strongly secured one to each half of the reach. Eachl hound is bolted at one end to the reach, as shown at q, and is maintained in a plane parallel with the reach by restingatitsoppositeendinabend,p,formed in the said reach. The inner corners of both hounds are diagonally connected together by trussrods Cr G, crossing each other at the center. It is necessary that these rods have apivotal motion upon the hounds which they connect, in order not to interfere with the action of the reach. I accordingly provide them with forked ends o, as shown in Fig. 5, adapted to loo yfull lines in Fig. 1.

'tion across the pivotal points in the transoms B, thus throwing the central truck outward and turning the end trucks to the positions ot radii to the curve, all as indicated by the dotted lines in said figure. The function of the truss-rods Gr is not in any Way to modify or aid in producing the above effects, but only to compensate in the matter of strength for the brake at the center of the reach without impeding the operation ot the latter.

The drawings represent two-wheeled trucks only; but it is obvious that all that has been said is equally applicable to four andto six wheeled trucks.

Y What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Y 1. In a railway-car, the combination of a central truck adapted to slide laterally within prescribed limits beneath the body ot the car, two end trucks pivotally attached to the body ofthe car` whereby they may be turned to oblique positions with respect to said body, and a reach formed in two parts, extending` from the cent-ral trucktoward opposite ends ofthecarinlinewith the draw-bar, each of said parts being rigidly connected by suitable bracing mechanism to one of the end trucks and pivotally connected to the central truck, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the rectangular frame A, end transoms, B, and central transom, B', bolster C, sliding in guides on the lower face of the transom B and carrying the center truck, reach E, made in two parts, as shown, and pivotally connected to the sliding bolster C and to the end transoms and hounds, F, carrying the end trucks, and rigidly secured one to each part of the reach E, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the rectangularframe A, transonis B and B', sliding bolster G,carry ing the center truck, centrally-divided reach E, pivotally connected to the slidingbolster C and to each of the end transonis, B, and hounds F, carrying the end trucks, and each rigidly secured to the reach, the diagonal truss-rods G, connecting the opposite inner corners of the hounds, substantially as described.

4. The combination otl the rectangular frame A, end transoms, B, central transom, B', provided with friction rollers or wheels t, and guides a, bolster G, lying against the frictionrollers t and sliding in the guides u, and carrying the central truck, reach E, divided at the center, with its inner ends sitting within stirrups s on thesliding bolster C, and pivotally connected to the end transoms,B,hounds F, each firmly bolted to the reach E and to the bolster B2of the end trucks, and diagonal trussrods G, pivoted to the opposite inner corners ofthe hounds, substantially as described.

JOHN D. FEE.

In presence of- P. C. DYRENFORTH, C. C. LIN'rI-HGUM. 

